The Pack Rewritten
by ConfusedColumbia26220
Summary: So, I am rewriting every single episode of Buffy, with one slight change – Jenny Calendar killed off in Passion, season 2 episode 17 will be in every single one. Don't like it, don't read it. That simple. S1E6
1. Chapter 1

**AN: So, I am rewriting every single episode of Buffy, with one slight change – Jenny Calendar (killed off in Passion, season 2 episode 17) will be in every single one. Don't like it, don't read it. That simple. If you do like it, I would also suggest that you start out by reading the first five rewritten episodes, before you read this. This is the 6th epiosde rewritten for season one. In the summaries S#E# represents what season and episode the story takes place. It would be best if you went in order - I guarantee you will be lost unless you go episode by episode. **

In every generation there is a Chosen One. She alone will stand against the vampires, the demons and the forces of darkness. She is the Slayer.

At the Sunnydale Zoo, a sign points to the reptiles, elephants, and the Hyena House. Buffy was walking along the path by herself.

Kyle and his gang, Rhonda, Tor, and Heidi, saw hwr coming.

"Oh, look," Kyle said. "It's Buffy and all her friends."

"That's witty."

"Do you ever wonder why nobody cool wants to hang out with you?" Tor asked.

"Just thankful," Buffy replied.

"Were you this popular at your old school? Before you got kicked out?" Rhonda asked.

The group laughed, and they continued on their way, leaving Buffy standing there alone.

"Careful! She might beat you up!" Tor taunted as they left.

Buffy was in the elephant section, reading the plaque, when Xander and Willow came running up.

"Hey! Buffy!" Xander greeted.

"You missed it!"

"Missed what?" Buffy asked.

"We just saw the zebras mating!" Xander nodded at Willow. "Thank you, very exciting..."

"It was like the Heimlich, with stripes!" Willow described.

Buffy mocked disappointment, "And I missed it. Yet somehow I'll find the courage to live on." She began walking.

Willow followed. "Where were you?"

"Uh, I was looking at the fishes."

"Was it cool?"

"It was fishes."

"I'm feelin' that you're not in the field trip spirit here," Xander observed.

"Well, it would... It's nothing, I... We do the same zoo trip at my old school every year. Same old, same old."

"Buffy, this isn't just about looking at a bunch of animals. This is about not being in class!"

Buffy brightened. "You know, you're right! Suddenly the animals look shiny and new."

"Gotta have perspective."

In the monkey section, a student named Lance was sketching them into his notebook. Kyle and his cronies approached him.

"Lance! How's it goin'?" Kyle asked.

"Hey, Kyle." Lance was unamused.

"So, is this like a, uh, family reunion?"

"No." He just wanted to be left alone.

"I think it's a family reunion. It's so... touching. Doesn't anybody have a camera?" Kyle made a sudden photo-taking gesture. "Whapish!"

Rhonda came up behind Lance. "Hey, does your mom still pick out your lice, or are you old enough to do that yourself now?"

"Quit it, huh?"

Tor took his notebook.

"Hey! Guys, c'mon! It's got my notes in there!"

Mr. Flutie saw the commotion. "What's going on here? I've had it up to here with you four! What're you doing?"

"Nothing," Kyle lied.

"Did I ask you to speak? Okay, I guess I did, but I want the truth. Lance?"

Lance covered for them out of fright, "They weren't doing anything. Really!" He let out a nervous laugh. "We were just playin' around."

"Alright." He started to walk away, but turned back. "I'll be watching you." He continued on.

Kyle pointed at Lance. "You! Came through big time."

Rhonda patted his shoulder. "Way to go, Lance!"

"Flutie's been looking for a reason to come down on us," Tor said.

"It's okay." Lance just wanted to be left alone.

"Come on, we're gonna check out the Hyena House," Kyle stated.

"But I think it's off-limits."

"And therein, my friend, lies the fun."

Lance laughed, and they all went towards the Hyena House.

The Hyena House was closed, but they ducked in through the yellow barricade tape. Buffy, Willow, and Xander saw them go in.

"What are Kyle and his buds doing with Lance?" Willow wondered.

"Oh, playing with him as a cat plays with a mouse," Xander answered.

"What is it with those guys?" Buffy asked.

"They're obnoxious. Professionally," Willow answered.

"Well, every school has 'em. So, you start a new school, you get your desks, some blackboards and some mean kids," Xander stated.

"Yeah, well, I'd better extract Lance before..."

Xander interrupted, "I'll handle it. This job doesn't require actual slaying." He lifted the tape and went in.

"You don't think we should follow?" Buffy asked Willow.

"Kyle and those guys are jerks, but they're all talk. Mostly."

Buffy reconsidered, "Why don't we..."

"Yeah, why don't we?" Willow agreed.

They ducked under the tape and started in, but were caught in the act by a zookeeper.

"Oh, hold it, hold it, are you blind, or are you just illiterate? Because hyenas are very quick to prey on the weak."

"Oh, w-we were just gonna take..." Buffy didn't know what she was going to say.

"You're not going in there. Anyone that does is in a world of trouble."

"No, no one's going in there," Willow stated. She and Buffy went under the tape again.

"Why is it off-limits?" Buffy asked.

"It's a quarantine. These hyenas just came in from Africa, so keep out." He cocked an eyebrow. "Even if they call your name."

"What are you talking about?" Buffy asked.

"The Masai tribesmen told me that hyenas are capable of understanding human speech. They follow humans around by day, learning their names. At night, when the campfire dies, they call out to a person. Once they separate him, the pack-" He snapped his fingers. "Devours them."

Inside the Hyena House, Kyle and the others tore through more tape blocking the way in and looked around.

"Cool!" Kyle stated. He and the girls walked up to the enclosure and looked in.

Lance stayed back, with Tor behind him. "I don't see any hyenas."

One of the hyenas growled and showed itself between some rocks.

"Okay! Now we've seen it." Lance tried to leave, but Tor stopped him.

"Looks cute," Rhonda stated.

"I think it looks hungry." Kyle moved toward Lance. He and Tor grabbed him.

"No!"

"C'mon, Spot!" Tor said.

"C'mon, stop it!" Lance begged.

"Supper time!"

They drug him up the steps and lifted him up to the bars.

"Guys! Stop! It's not funny!"

They pressed him into the bars, and down on his neck.

"Ow! Stop it! It's not funny!"

Xander came in, pulled their arms off of him, and helped him away. "Why don't you pick on somebody your own species?" He spat at Kyle.

"What, are _you_ gonna get in my face?"

The hyenas growled. Xander, Kyle and the others looked at them. The hyenas' eyes flashed green, and then two of the kids' eyes did. The hyenas' eyes flashed green again, and two more kids' eyes did. There was a sacred circle painted on the floor. Lance made an axious move to get away, but tripped on a chair and fell. His notebook skidded across the floor to the far wall. Kyle and the others turned and laughed when they saw him. Lance got up, retrieved his notebook, and rushed out. Xander turned around, and his eyes flashed green as well.

At the Bronze, Buffy and Willow were coming from the bar. Buffy had a Coke and a croissant. They made their way over to an empty table.

"I thought Xander would be here by now," Willow stated.

"Hmm, that'd make him on time. We couldn't have that!"

"Did he seem upset at all on the bus back from the zoo?"

"About what?"

"I dunno. He was quiet."

"I didn't notice anything." They sat. "But then again I'm not as hyperaware of him as, oh, say, for example, you."

"Hyperaware?"

"Well, I'm not constantly monitoring his health, his moods, his blood pressure..."

Willow grinned. "130 over 80!"

Buffy was amused. "You got it bad, girl!"

"He makes my head go tingly. You know what I mean?"

"I dimly recall."

"But it hasn't happened to you lately?"

"Not of late."

"Not even for a dangerous and mysterious older man whose leather jacket you're wearing right now?"

Buffy mocked annoyance, "Goes with the shoes!"

"Come on, Angel pushes your buttons. You know he does."

"I suppose some girls might find him good looking... "

Willow gave her a look.

"...If they have eyes, alright, he's a honey, but... it's just he's never around, and when he is, all he wants to do is talk about vampires, and... I, I just can't have a relationship..."

Willow saw Xander. "There he is!"

"Angel?"

"Xander!"

Xander walked into the club and checked out a girl on the way. The girl stared after him. He came to Buffy and Willow's table. "Girls!"

"Boy!" Buffy replied.

"Sorry I'm late, I... just forgot that we were gonna be here." He saw Buffy's croissant. "Hungry!" He tore a piece off and ate it.

"Xander, you still want me to help you with geometry tomorrow?" Willow asked.

Xander took a swig of Buffy's cola.

"We can work after class..."

Xander gave Willow a thumbs-up. "Yeah." A second later, "What is this crap?" Xander asked Buffy.

"Well, it _was_ my buttery croissant."

"Man, I need some food! Birds live on this!"

Buffy and Willow looked at each other and then at Xander.

He looked back and forth at them. "What?"

"What's up with you?" Buffy asked.

"Is something wrong? Did I do something?"

"What could you possibly do?" Xander asked Willow. "That's crazy talk. I'm just... restless."

"Well, we could go to the ice cream place..."

Xander pointed to the table. "I like it here." He looked up and scanned the area a bit, then leaned toward Buffy and sniffed her hair.

"Okay, now what?" Buffy asked.

"You took a bath," Xander stated.

"Yeah, I-I often do, I'm actually known for it."

"That's okay."

Willow and Buffy exchanged another look.

"And the weird behavior award goes to..." Buffy said.

Xander saw Keyle and the others come in. Buffy saw them, too.

'Reluctant Man' by Sprung Monkey stated playing.

_ "Oh, Reluctant Man"_

"Oh, great. It's the winged monkeys," Buffy scoffed.

Kyle and company came over to them.

_ "Who's afraid to touch the world / Why are you hiding? / What is the base of all your fears?"_

Xander stared back at them.

_ "Do you find yourself in a cold cruel world"_

Kyle stopped at their table. He and Xander stared each other down.

_ "Dark and desperate, scared and lonely?"_

Kyle and his gang went around to another table that was occupied.

_ "Selfish Man / Who never gave to no one else / What are you holding? / Is it worth the price you pay?"_

Kyle spoke to a boy at the table, "Y'know, I don't understand why you're sitting at our table."

_ "'Cause your eyes they see just what you want to see"_

"Yeah, shouldn't you be hovering over the football stadium with 'Goodyear' written on you?" Rhonda asked.

_ "And I hope they're not staring blindly at me"_

They all laughed.

Xander was watching and laughed to. When he turned back to Buffy, he stopped laughing because she didn't think it was funny. "Kid's fat," he stated.

Giles and Ms. Calendar were in the library.

"You might not want to be here when Buffy comes," Giles told her. "I'll be training her."

"Oh, no you're not!"

"Pardon me?"

"You get to be book man! You do all - well, not all, but a lot of the research. Let me be the ninja!"

Giles laughed. "The what?"

"Never mind. Let me train Buffy, pleeeeeaaase?" Ms. Calendar begged.

"You're acting rather childish."

"Please? I didn't get to kick that She-Mantis woman's ass, and you know I never liked her! Let me feel useful instead of a stalker for once, please?"

Giles sighed and rubbed his forehead. "You really want to train Buffy?"

"Yes!"

"Alright."

"Yay!" Ms. Calendar pounced on him in a hug. She kissed his cheek. "Thank you!"

Giles chuckled nervously. "Y-Yes, w-w-well...we-we'll s-see h-how it goes, then."

Later, Ms. Calendar wore protective gear while Buffy trained on her. Buffy did a roundhouse kick followed by a high punch and a swinging middle punch to Ms. Calendar's gloved hands. She continued,

doing a full spin and finishing with a backhand punch. She did a full spinning jumping high wheel kick followed by a right middle punch, a high roundhouse kick and a front snap kick. Then she jumped high and did

a twin straddle kick. She landed back on her feet and moved in to attack again, when Giles cleared his throat from where he had been watching.

"Right!"

Buffy stopped short.

"That's enough training for one day."

"Well, that last roundhouse was kinda sloppy. Are you sure you don't want me to do it again?" Buffy asked.

Ms. Calendar was out of breath. "No! No, no, that's fine. You just... run along to class." Buffy left. "While I wait for the feeling to return to my arms."

Giles approached Ms. Calendar with a smug smile. "Sedated yet?"

"For the day...but I'm no wimp...I'll do it again...any time."

Giles rolled his eyes. "You just don't give up, do you, woman?"

Ms. Calendar smiled. "Nope...Got any water?"

In the halls, Herbert the mascot had gotten loose. The students in the hall were startled and trying to get away.

Mr. Flutie chased the pig. "Look out! It's gotten loose!"

Herbert the pig was dodging students' legs.

Buffy came around a corner, and reacted quickly to catch him and pick him up.

"Lordy, Herbert! Gave Mr. Flutie quite a scare, didn't he? Students, I'd like you all to met Herbert, our new mascot for the Sunnydale High Razorbacks!" Mr. Flutie introduced.

The students all clapped.

"He's so cute!" Buffy said.

"He's not cute. No! He's a fierce Razorback!"

There was more clapping.

"He doesn't look mean, Mr. Flutie," Buffy stated.

"He's mean, he's ready for action! See?" He indicated Herbert's helmet with foam tusks. "Here are the tusks..." He gestured at a piece of serrated green foam tied to Herbert's back. "The scary Razorback!"

Buffy humored him, "You're right. He's a fine mascot and will engender school spirit."

"Uh, he better. Costs a fortune to feed him." He addressed the pig, "Alright, let's get you back into your cage."

Herbert, the pig, squealed when Buffy went to hand him to Mr. Flutie.

Mr. Flutie pointed behind himself. "This way."

Outside, Willow was helping Xander with his geometry.

"I'm not getting this," Xander stated.

"It's simple, really. See, 'The bisector of a vertex is the line that divides the angle at that vertex into two equal parts.'"

"It's like a big blur, all these numbers and angles."

"It's the same stuff from last week. You had it down then."

"Why do I need to learn this?"

"'Cause otherwise you'll flunk math?"

"Explain the part where that's bad." He rubbed the bridge of his nose.

"You remember, you fail math, you flunk out of school, you end up being the guy at the pizza place that sweeps the floor and says, 'Hey, kids, where's the cool parties this weekend?' We've been through this."

Xander rubbed his right temple.

"Do you have a headache?" She reached up to him.

Xander shook her off. "Yeah, and I think I know what's causing it." He threw his geometry book into the trash. "Ah! That's better, it goes right to the source of the pain."

"Xander..."

Xander was frustrated, "Look, forget it, okay? I don't get it. I won't ever." He got up. "I don't care." He threw his math notebook into Willow's lap and left in a huff.

Willow watched Xander go. "We can finish this another time."

In the hall, Buffy followed Mr. Flutie to the faculty room with Herbert in her arms. They stopped outside.

"See, the problem is you kids today have no school spirit. Hold on, let me get his outfit off." He removed Herbert's outfit. "Today it's all gangs and drugs and those movies on Showtime with the nudity."

Buffy gave him a look.

"I don't have cable, I only heard. When I was your age we cared about the school's reputation and the football team's record, all that stuff! Of course, when I was your age I was surrounded by old guys telling me how much better things were when they were _my_ age." He went into the faculty room.

"Yeah!" Buffy said to Herbert.

Xander came into the hall from outside. Herbert squealed, reacting to his presence as he walked by. Buffy looked confused as she watched Xander pass, and tried to keep Herbert from jumping out of her arms.

Outside, lightning struck.

In the gym, the coach addressed the students, "Alright, it's raining, all regular gym classes have been postponed, so you know what that means: -" He held up a large rubber ball. "Dodgeball! Now, for those of you that may have forgotten, the rules are as follows: you dodge." He tossed the ball to Buffy. He blew his whistle, and the two groups moved back from center court. He whistled again and the ball throwing commenced. Xander nailed his first victim. Buffy and the pack members easily dodged the balls. The coach enjoyed the game from the sidelines. Xander nailed another victim. The coach continued to watch. Buffy threw a ball and hit her mark. Xander threw again and nailed Willow hard on the back. She gave him a hurt and confused look as she walked off of the court. Xander caught a ball as he watched Willow go, but soon continued the game. Willow sats down, crossed her arms and kept looking at him. A few seconds later just the pack of Kyle and friends and Lance were left on one side, Buffy on the other. The pack looked at her briefly, then focused on Lance. He fell to the floor and cowered as they each threw their ball at him hard. Buffy ran over and helped Lance up. She stared at Xander. He stared back. She watched as he and the others left.

"God, this game is brutal. I love it!" Coach Harrold was thrilled.

In the hall, Buffy was waiting for Xander, and went up to him when he came from the other hall with the pack. "Xander... What's wrong with you?"

Xander looked at the others briefly and pulled Willow aside. "I guess you've noticed that I've been different around you lately."

"Yes."

"I think, um... I think it's because my feelings for you have been changing."

Buffy came around a corner to her locker and saw them. She worked the combination.

"And, well, we've been friends for such a long time that I feel like I need to tell you something."

Willow looked at Xander expectantly.

"I've, um... I've decided to drop geometry. So I won't be needing your math help anymore. Which means I won't have to look at your pasty face again." He and the others laughed.

Willow was crushed. She turned and left.

Buffy watched her quickly walk by. She slammed her locker and approached Xander with her arms crossed. He stopped laughing. "You gonna say something to me?"

Xander just looked at her and started laughing again more loudly. He went back to the pack, and they left.

Buffy went after Willow.

Outside, at lunch, the pack walked along.

Xander stopped and sniffed the air. "Dogs!"

"Where?" Kyle asked.

Xander lead them to a group of three boys sitting at a table.

"You're out of your mind, that's no way to play guitar," Boy #1 said.

"What are you talking about?" Boy #2 asked.

"I mean, that's just hunt and peck!" Boy #1 continued.

"It's not!" Boy #2 defended.

They pack arrived.

"Hey, Xander, you've heard Wretched Refuse play, what do you think of the guy who plays lead?" Boy #1 asked Xander.

Tor reached for Boy #1's hot dog. Heidi took Boy #2's hotdog.

"Hey. Hey, what are you guys..."

"Shut up." Rhonda cut Boy #1 off.

"You're sharing," Kyle told them.

"Friends like to share." To Tor and Heidi he asked, "Good?"

"It's too well-done," Tor answered. He threw the rest of the hotdog back with Boy #1's lunch, Heidi back on Boy #2.

"Hey! That is _not_ cool." Boy #1 said.

Xander sniffed the air again and looked in the scent's direction. He lead them off. Kyle climbed onto the table and stomped the boys' lunches.

"Hey!" Boy #1 cried.

Moments later, the pack entered the faculty room.

Xander inhaled deeply through his nose. The other two boys went to close the blinds. They all approached the cage that Herbert, the pig, was in. Xander bent down to look at him. "Let's do lunch."

The pig became nervous and squealed.


	2. Chapter 2

Outside the school, Xander and the pack came walking up the stairs from below the administrative offices to the quad. Several students stared at them as they walked by.

_ "I'm sure this rain won't last / I'm sure its time is up / Though it's pouring down" _

Lance walked by and just stopped in front of them. They looked at hom and Xander sniffed him, but they kept walking right by.

_"I'm sure this rain won't last / And it falls on Job's eyes / This water of doubt / And I'm wading in lies / It's wearing me out / But if you want it, alright / I'll buy it / I'll buy it / I'll buy it / I'll buy it / I'll buy it / I'll..."_

Xander noticed Buffy and Willow sitting and talking on the balcony above. His hearing had become sensitive and he overheard.

"I've known him my whole life, Buffy," Willow told her. She had tears in her eyes. "Well, we haven't always been close, but he's never..." She let out a slow breath.

"I think something's wrong with him."

"Or maybe there's something wrong with me."

"What are you talking about?"

"C'mon. He's not picking on you. He's just sniffing you a lot. I don't know, maybe three isn't company anymore."

"You think this has something to do with me?"

"Of course."

"No. That still doesn't explain why he's hanging out with the dode patrol." Buffy hopped off the railing. "Something's going on. Something weird." She started to go.

"What're you gonna do?"

"Talk to the expert on weird. One of - or perhaps both."

In the library, Giles was going about his work. Buffy followed him as they talked. Ms. Calendar was busying herself with scanning in the returned books.

"Xander's taken to teasing the less fortunate?" Giles asked.

"Uh-huh."

"And, there's been a noticeable change in both clothing and demeanor?"

"Yes."

"And, well, otherwise all his spare time is spent lounging about with imbeciles."

"It's bad, isn't it?"

"It's devastating. He's turned into a sixteen-year-old boy. Course, you'll have to kill him."

"Giles, I'm serious."

"So am I. Except for the part about killing him. Testosterone is a great equalizer. It turns all men into morons. He will, however, get over it."

Buffy was exasperated. "I cannot believe that you, of all people, are trying to Scully me. There is something supernatural at work here." She grabbed some books. "Get your books! Look stuff up!"

Giles took the books. "Look under what?"

"I don't know." She sighed sharply. "That's your department." She marched over to the checkout counter. "Ms. Calendar, please slap him for me. I would, but I can't get kicked out."

Ms. Calendar smirked. "Yeah, well, I can't get fired."

"Ugh!" Buffy threw her arms up in the air. She returned to Giles.

"The evidence that you've presented me with is sketchy at best," Giles told her.

"He scared the pig," Buffy told him.

Giles gave her a look.

"Well, he did..."

"Buffy, boys can be cruel. They tease, they, they, they prey on the weak. I-i-it's natural teen behavior pattern."

Ms. Calendar looked over at them. She couldn't picture Mr. Prim-And-Proper doing any of those things.

"What did you just say?" Buffy asked.

"Um, they tease."

"They prey on the weak. I've heard that somewhere bef..." It clicked in her mind. "Xander has been acting totally wiggy ever since we went to the zoo. Him and Kyle and all those guys, they went into the hyena cage. Oh, God, that laugh..."

Ms. Calendar wandered over. "She may be onto something, Rupert."

"You're saying that, uh, Xander's becoming a hyena." He lifted his eyebrow at Ms. Calendar as he said it.

"I don't know. Or been possessed by one? Not just Xander, all of them."

"Well, I-I-I've cer-certainly never heard of, uh..." Now he couldn't hold an argument.

Willow came into the library. "Herbert! They found him."

"The pig?" Ms. Calendar asked.

"Dead. And also eaten. Principal Flutie's freaking out."

"Testosterone, huh?" Buffy asked Giles.

Giles headed towards his office.

"What're you gonna do?" Willow asked.

"Get my books. Look stuff up."

"And, I'll...I'll see what the world of technology says about this." Ms. Calendar left the library to retrieve her laptop.

Outside, Mr. Flutie was walking angrily. He saw Kyle and the others, Xander wasn't with them. He approached them. "You four!" He was angry.

"What?" Kyle asked.

"Oh, don't think I don't know. Three kids saw you outside Herbert's room. You're busted! Yeah! You're goin' down."

"How is Herbert?" Rhonda asked.

"Crunchy!" Heidi answered.

The kids laughed. Mr. Flutie was incensed.

"That's it! My office, right now."

The kids laughed more.

"Now!" He demanded.

They stopped laughing. Kyle got off of the table and indicated for the others to follow.

"You're gonna have so much detention, your grandchildren'll be staying after school," Mr. Flutie threatened.

In the library, Willow and Ms. Calendar were researching - Willow with a book, Ms. Calendar with her laptop. Buffy was on the stairs behind them with a book.

"Wow! Apparently Noah rejected the hyenas from the Ark because he thought they were an evil impure mixture of dogs and cats," Buffy stated.

"Hyenas aren't well liked," Willow replied.

"They do seem to be the schmoes of the animal kingdom," Ms. Calendar said.

Buffy walked over to them.

"Why couldn't Xander be possessed by a puppy or, or some ducks?" Willow asked.

"That's assuming 'possession' is the right word," Buffy said.

Giles came over from the cage. "Oh, I'll say it is. The Masai of the Serengeti have spoken of animal possession for, for generations. I... I should have remembered that."

Ms. Calendar buried her face in her hands. "College paper out the window. I should have remembered, too."

"So, how does it work?" Buffy asked.

"Well, apparently there's a, a sect of animal worshipers known as Primals. They believe that humanity, uh, consciousness, uh, the soul, is a, is a perversion, a dilution of spirit. Uh, to them the animal state

is holy. They are able, through trans-possession, to, to, um, draw the spirit of certain animals into themselves."

"And then they started acting like hyenas." It was coming back to Ms. Calendar. She connected it to the current situation.

"Well, only the most predatory of animals are, are of interest to the Primals, so, uh, yes, yes, that would fit, yes," Giles replied.

"So, what happens to the person once the spirit's in them?" Buffy asked.

"If it goes unchecked..." Giles handed Buffy a book that was opened to a certain page. She took one look, slammed the book shut, and quickly got up to go.

"I gotta find Xander."

Ms. Calendar swallowed. "What page?" She was curious.

"Uh, five hundred-seventy-six," Giles answered.

Ms. Calendar reopened the book and found the page. "Yikes!" She closed it again. There was a drawing of people with limbs bitten off, heads missing and other massive injuries.

Willow shook her head. "I'm not gonna look."

In the faculty room, Herbert's cage had been mangled. Buffy came in and looked around. She inspected the cage and sighed. "They are strong." She stepped on something that crunched and crouched down to the floor. She found parts of Herbert, some vertebrae, and other bones. She picked up a rib. Xander came in and stood behind her. Buffy got back up and turned around, only to be startled by him. "Xander." She tried to evade him, but he was quick to match her movement. Buffy exhaled. "This is ridiculous. We need to talk." She faked him out and jumped on him, knocking him down with her op top holding down his arms.

Xander smiled. "Been waitin' for you to jump my bones."

In Mr. Flutie's office, he stood in front of his desk and lectured Kyle and his friends. "I have seen some sick things in my life! Believe me! But this is beyond the pale! What is it with you people?"

The pack started to whine and stalk him.

"Is it drugs? How could you? A poor defenseless pig?" He noticed their behavior. "What are you doing?"

In the faculty room, Xander growled and rolled Buffy over onto her back so he was op top and had her arms pinned down.

"Get off of me."

"Is that what you really want?" Xander asked.

Buffy struggled a bit.

"We both know what you really want. You want danger, don't cha? You like your men dangerous."

"You're in trouble, Xander. You are infected with some hyena thing, it's like a demonic possession!"

"Dangerous and mean, right? Like Angel. Your Mystery Guy. Well, guess who just got mean."

In Mr. Flutie's office, he went around behind his desk to get away from the pack. They slowly approached.

"Now, stop that! You're only gonna make things worse for yourselves. I tell you how this is gonna work: I am gonna call your parents, and they are gonna take you all home." He reached for his phone, but Tor got his hands on it first and tried to stare him down. Mr. Flutie looked at him a moment and then gestured to be given the phone. Tor gave it to him.

"Thank you." He started to pull the phone toward himself to dial, but Rhonda tore it away from him and threw it off of the desk.

"I'm sorry..." she lied.

Mr. Flutie was furious, "That is it!" He tried to get past them, but Kyle growled at him and he fell back into his chair.

In the faculty room, Xander was still on top of Buffy.

"Do you know how long... I've waited... until you'd stop pretending that we aren't attracted..."

Buffy threw him off of her and quickly got up to face him. He got up too, and began to approach her as she backed away.

"Until Willow... stops kidding herself... that I could settle with anyone but you?"

"Look, Xander, I don't wanna hurt you..." Buffy said.

Xander grabbed her by the shoulders and pushed her against the vending machiene. "Now do you wanna hurt me?"

Buffy struggled, but the possessed Xander was too strong.

"Come on, Slayer. I like it when you're scared."

She struggled a bit more.

"The more I scare you -" He sniffed her. "The better you smell." He moved in and kissed her roughly on the neck.

In Mr. Flutie's office, the pack continued to taunt and sniff him.

"You're about this close to expulsion, people!" Mr. Flutie got up. "I'm willing to talk to the school counselor, and we can discuss options..." He tried to go again, but Heidi stopped him. Tor climbed onto his desk and growled at him. "Get down from there this instant!" He was angry again.

Rhonda got in his face and scratched his cheek with her nails. He fell back into his chair with his hand covering his face. He took his hand away and saw the blood. He was terrified. "Are you insane?"

Tor jumped on him from the desk, and the rest of the pack descended on him and began feeding.

The picture of Mr. Flutie that was on his desk would soon be all there was of him.

**AN: Background music at the beginning is 'Job's Eyes' by Far.**


	3. Chapter 3

In the library, Willow was sitting close to Ms. Calendar, the two watching footage of feeding hyenas on Ms. Calendar's laptop. They looked up when they heard the door open and Ms. Calendar stopped the playback. They saw Buffy dragging Xander into the library. She came over to them.

"Hurry up. We gotta get him locked up somehow before he comes to."

"Oh, my God, Xander! What happened?" Willow asked.

"I hit him."

"With what?" Ms. Calendar asked.

"A desk."

Willow got up and opened the cage door. Buffy dragged him in.

"He tried his hand at felony sexual assault," Buffy informed.

"Oh, Buffy, the hyena in him didn't..."

"No."

Buffy and Willow arranged him on the floor in the cage.

"No, but it's safe to say that in his animal state his idea of wooing doesn't involve a Yanni CD and a bottle of Chianti." Buffy locked the cage. "There, that oughtta hold him. Where's Giles?"

"He got called to some teacher's meeting," Willow answered.

"And Ms. Calendar's playing hooky? High five!" Buffy went over to her, hand raised.

Ms. Calendar shrugged. "Eh, why not?" She hit her hand. "And he asked me to, I'm guessing, for something like this to come along."

"What are we gonna do?" Willow asked. "I mean... how do we get Xander back?"

Giles came into the library.

"Right now I'm a little more worried about what the rest of the pack are up to," Buffy said.

"The rest of the pack were spotted outside Herbert the mascot's cage. They were sent to the principal's office," Giles informed.

"Good!" Willow replied. "That'll show 'em."

Giles was silent.

"Uh-oh..." Ms. Calendar knew that wouldn't go well.

Willow looked to Ms. Calendar and back to Giles. "Did it show 'em?"

Giles sighed and remained silent, searching for what to say.

"They didn't hurt him, did they?" Buffy asked.

"They, uh... ate him."

Willow had to sit down. She, Buffy, and Ms. Calendar couldn't believe what they just heard.

Ms. Calendar gagged. "I did not hear that, I did not hear that, I did not hear that."

"They ate Principal Flutie?" Buffy asked.

"Ate him up?" Willow added.

"The, uh, official theory is that wild dogs got into his office somehow. There was no one at the scene."

"But Xander didn't," Willow stated. "He, he was with you," she said to Buffy.

Giles saw Xander in the cage. "Oh! Uh, well, that's a small mercy."

"Giles, how do we stop this? How do you trans-possess someone?" Buffy asked.

"I-I'm afraid I still don't have all the pieces. Um, the accounts of the Primals and their methods are a bit thin on the ground. There is some talk of a-a-a predatory act, but the exact ritual is, is, um..." He thought, picking up a book. "The Malleus Maleficarum deals in particulars of demonic possession, which... may apply..." He looked through a few paged. "Yes, one, one should be able to transfer the spirits to another human."

"Oh, that's great. Any volunteers?" Buffy asked sarcastically.

"Oh. Good point."

"What we need to do is put the hyena back in the hyena," Ms. Calendar stated.

"B-but until we know more, uh..."

"Betcha that zookeeper could tell us. Maybe he didn't quarantine those hyenas because they were sick," Buffy stated.

"We should talk to him," Ms. Calendar said.

"Okay." Buffy started to go but stopped. "Oh, wait, somebody's gotta watch Xander."

Willow got up. "I will."

"Will, are you sure?" Buffy asked. "If he wakes up..."

Willow held out her hand for the keys. "I'll be alright. Go."

After a moment's hesitation, Buffy gave Willow the keys to the cage and grabbed her coat. "C'mon." She said to Giles and Ms. Calendar.

Willow watched them leave, then looked over at Xander in the cage. She slipped the keys into her pocket.

Outside, during the night, a young woman with her baby in a backpack walked through some bushes and saw the pack lying on the ground, sleeping after their meal. The pack woke and saw the woman. She became panicky and slowly backed up, almost stepping on Tor. She turned suddenly when she heard him growl. He drooled heavily. The members of the pack slowly crawled toward her. The woman finally turned and ran, and the pack laid back down to rest some more.

In the library, Xander woke up. "Willow."

Willow was watching the hyena video again, since Ms. Calendar had left her laptop. She stopped it and turned to look at him. "How are you feeling?"

"Like somebody hit me with a desk." He looked around. "What am I doin' here?"

Willow got up and went towards the cage. "You're... resting?"

"You guys got me locked up now." He stood up.

"'Cause you're sick. Buffy said..."

Xander interrupted, "Oh, yeah. Buffy and her all-purpose solution: punch 'em out 'n' knock 'em down. I'd love to see what she'd do to somebody who was _really_ sick."

"That's not fair. Buffy saved both of our lives."

"Before she came here our lives didn't need that much saving, did they? Weren't things a lot simpler when it was just you and me?"

Willow moved closer. "Maybe..."

"When we were alone together... Willow, I know there's something wrong with me. I think it's gettin' worse. But I can't just stand around waitin' for Buffy to decide it's time to punch me out again." He sighed. "Look, I want you to help me. I want you."

"I am helping you."

Xander exhaled, frustrated. "You're doing what you're told."

"Buffy's trying to help you, too. You know that. Or Xander does."

"Yeah... Buffy's so selfless. Always thinking of us. Well, if I'm so dangerous, how come she left you alone with me?"

"I told her to."

"Why?"

"'Cause I know you better than she does... and I wanted to be here to see if... you were still you."

"You know I am. Look at me." There was a long pause. "Looook."

Willow moved even closer. She whispered, "Xander..."

He made a grab for her through the book return slot in the cage, but she jerked back in time.

"Now I know."

Xander banged on the cage. "LET ME OUT! LET ME OUT!"

Buffy, Giles, and Ms. Calendar were talking to the zookeeper in his office.

"The students have been possessed by the hyenas?" The zookeeper asked.

"Yes," Ms. Calendar answered.

"Are you sure?"

"We're really, really sure," Buffy answered.

"Y-you don't seem enormously surprised by this," Giles observed.

"The zoo imported those hyenas from Africa. There was something strange about them from day one. I did some homework... That particular breed is very rare. Totally vicious. Historically they were worshipped by these guys..."

"Primals."

"Yeah! Creepy guys! Now, they had rituals for taking the hyena spirits, but I-I don't see how that coulda happened to your kids."

"Uh, we don't know exactly how the ritual works. We know that it involves a, um, um... predatory act and some kind of symbol."

"Predatory act? Of course. That makes sense. Where did you read that?"

"Do you have Sherman Jeffries' work on, on cults and on..."

"Boys?" Buffy asked impatiently.

"Sorry," Giles apologized.

"Look," The zookeeper said.

Giles raised his hand slightly. "Sorry," he repeated.

"Look. I think we may have enough information so that together we could pull off a reverse trans-possession."

"What do we do?" Ms. Calendar asked.

"We've gotta get those possessed students over to the hyena cage right away. I'll meet you there. We can begin the rituals."

"W-well, we can guarantee one of them, but there are four more, and we have no idea where they are," Buffy replied.

"No, I wouldn't worry about that. After hyenas feed and rest they will track the missing member of their pack until they find him. They should come right to you."

Buffy became worried. "Willow!"

In the library, Willow was watching the hyena video again.

Xander paced in the cage. "Willow..."

"I'm not listening," Willow replied.

At the small arched windows high up on the wall, Kyle and Heidi appeared.

"Wiiillooow..." Kyle said.


	4. Chapter 4

Kyle was looking through the library's window. "Wiiillooow..."

Willow turned to the cage. "Xander, shut up!"

"Wiiillooow..."

She looked up at the window where the sound was coming from, saw Kyle and startled. Kyle and Heidi kicked in the windows. Willow got up and ran from the library. The pack came in as Xander kicked and pounded at the cage. Kyle managed to bend over the corner of the door. The others started banging at the cage, too.

Willow stopped at the intersection in the hall.

In the library, the pack pulled down the cage door, freeing Xander. They whined and sniffed each other.

Willow ran to a door and tried it, but found it locked.

Xander looked toward the library doors and began tracking Willow. The others followed.

Willow ran to another door on the other side of the hall and found it open. She went in and closed the door behind her. The pack reached the hall intersection and sniffed around for Willow's scent.

Inside the classroom that Willow had gotten into, she hid under the teacher's desh.

In the hall, the pack split up and began searching for Willow. Xander and Heidi came down the hall. He kept sniffing. He looked at the door that Willow went through and went into the classroom with Heidi.

Willow stayed quiet under the desk. Xander looked around and saw nothing. He motioned with his head for them to leave. When Willow heard the door close she came out from under the desk. She looked toward the door, saw Xander and screamed as she jumped back against the window blinds. Xander growled and leapt over the desk at her. She ran around the desk to get away and tipped over a student desk to block Xander's way. He came after her and tripped over the desk. Willow ran out of the door, but was met by Heidi. Buffy came up behind Heidi and hit her on the back with a fire extinguisher, knocking her down and out. Willow came out of the room and went over to Giles and Ms. Calendar. Xander had gotten up and rushed Buffy. She kicked him, and he fell in the hall outside the classroom also. Buffy discarded the extinguisher. The other three pack members appeared at the end of the hall.

"Run!" Ms. Calendar called.

They came running. Giles, Willow, and Ms. Calendar ran back into the classroom, and Buffy followed, closing and locking the door behind her. The pack pounded on the door but couldn't get in and soon left.

"I think they're going," Buffy said.

"They could be faking it," Willow pointed out.

"No, they're hungry. They'll be looking for somebody weak. I'm really sorry, Will. I didn't know they were gonna come after Xander."

Willow was shaken. "It's okay."

"We must lead them back to the zoo if we're going to stop this," Giles stated.

"And before their next meal. Guess that's my job."

"Well, individually they're almost as strong as you," Ms. Calendar replied. "As a group they're..."

"They're tough, but I think they're getting stupider. You guys go to the zoo and I will bring them to you." Buffy left.

A family was coming out of a house.

"I didn't say she looks better than you, I said she looks better," the husband, Mr. Anderson, assured his wife.

"I heard what I heard." She spoke to her son, "Joey, chew! You have to chew or you'll choke!"

They got into their Jeep.

"I don't see why we have to have this conversation every time we see them," Mr. Anderson stated.

"I didn't start it." She put on her seatbelt.

Mr. Anderson looked at the ignition. "Damn. Where are the keys?"

"Huh?"

They heard Joey's name being called from outside and began to look around. Kyle looked down from the Jeep's roof into Joey's window. The mother screamed. Two others climbed onto the hood and slapped the windshield. Xander was at the window opposite Kyle. They all pounded on the car.

"What going on?" Mr. Anderson asked rhetorically. "Hey! Get off! Get off of there!"

Xander broke the window with his elbow.

"Get away!" Joey cried.

Xander growled and reached in for Joey. His mother reached back to try to protect him.

"Joey! Joey! Joey!"

Buffy came running up, grabbed Rhonda and threw her off of the hood to the ground. She climbed to the roof and did an in-to-out crescent kick, knocking Kyle off. She looked down at Xander's feet sticking out of the window.

"Joey!" Mrs. Anderson cried.

"Didn't your mom teach you?"

Xander heard Buffy.

"Don't play with your food."

Xander crawled out and looked up at her. The pack gathered around him and looked ip at her. She straightened up and put her hands on her hips.

"C'mon. You know what you want." She jumped off of the car and started running down the street. The pack gave the chase.

Ms. Calendar, Giles, and Willow arrived at the Hyena House at a run.

"The pathway to the Hyena House. Where's the zookeeper?" Willow asked.

"Uh, he must be inside. I-I'll go in and prepare things. You just warn, uh, us when you hear Buffy and the others approaching," Giles told her. He ran in. Ms. Calendar followed.

Willow turned around to watch and wait.

Buffy was running through a strand of trees. The pack was close behind.

Giles and Ms. Calendar ducked under tape and came into the main area.

"Doctor?" Giles asked.

"Uh... Zookeeper?" Ms. Calendar helped.

They heard a door close and were startled by the zookeeper, who was all made up.

"Oh! Oh, of course, the, uh, Masai ceremonial garb. Yes... Very good. Are you, uh, otherwise prepared for the trans-possession?" Giles asked.

The zookeeper nodded. "Almost.

Ms. Calendar noticed the markings on the floor.

Giles followed her gaze. "Oh, right! The, uh, sacred circle. Yes, you'd need that to, um... This would be here when... when the children first came. Why would you..." He sighed, figuring it out. " How

terribly frustrating for you, that a bunch of school children could accomplish what you could not."

"Rupert?" Ms. Calendar whispered. She clutched onto his arm.

"It bothered me. But the power will be mine."

Giles tried getting himself and Ms. Calendar away, but the zookeper hit him in the gut with his staff and again on the back, knocking him out. He hit Ms. Calendar on the head with the staff, and she crumpled to the ground instantly. The zookeeper tossed the staff aside and drug Giles and Ms. Calendar away.

Buffy was still running through the trees.

Outside the Hyena House, Willow heard them coming and and ran in.

"They're almost here! Giles! Ms. Calendar! Giles! Ms. Calendar!" Willow saw the zookeeper. "Where are the hyenas for the trans-possession?"

"They're right here in the feeding area."

Willow ran to see the hyenas, but the zookeeper stopped her.

"Stay back! They haven't been fed."

"Where's Giles?" Willow asked. "Where's Ms. Calendar?"

"They're...laying in wait."

"They're almost here. Shouldn't you bring the hyenas out?"

"When the time is right. I'm gonna need your help." He began binding her wrists.

Buffy came running in. "They're right behind me!"

"That's Buffy! Get ready!"

The zookeeper took Willow and positioned her in front of him. "Here."

"What is this?" Willow asked.

"A predatory act, remember?" He held a knife to her throat.

"Uh, right. You'll pretend to slash my throat and, and put the evil in the hyenas?"

"Something like that."

Willow realized the zookeeper had other intentions. Buffy came running in, but stopped short when she saw Willow being held by the zookeeper.

"Buffy, it's a trap!" Willow warned.

Xander grabbed Buffy from behind and they fall to the floor. The others came in and got on top of her, too.

"YU BA YA SA NA!" The zookeeper chanted.

The pack looked at him, and their eyes all flashed green. Then the zookeeper's eyes flashed green. He turned to Willow and growled. He dropped the knife, gravved her head, and moved in to bite her.

"Willow!" Xander cried. He got up and charged the zookeeper, knocking him down and away from Willow. The pack got off of Buffy. The zookeeper got up and punched Xander. Buffy got up and punched the zookeeper. Kyle and his gang saw the fight and began to crawl away on their butts. The zookeeper charged Buffy, but she knocked him back down. He charged her again, and she tossed him over onto his back. He got up and tried again. Buffy got under him and threw him up and into the hyena pit. He tried to climb out, but was dragged back down by the hyenas. Kyle and company got up and scrambled away. Buffy ran to the pit to see if she could save the zookeeper, but she was too late. She looked away as Xander came over to untie Willow. Giles and Ms. Calendar came out of the back room.

"Uh, did we miss anything?" Giles asked.

At school the next day, Buffy, Willow, and Xander were walking across the quad.

"I heard the vice-principal's taking over till they can find a replacement," Willow informed.

"It shouldn't be too hard to find a new principal. Unless they ask what happened to the last one," Buffy stated.

"Okay, but I had nothing to do with that, right?" Xander asked.

"Oh, right," Buffy answered.

"You only ate the pig," Willow told him.

"I ate a pig? Was it cooked and called bacon or..."

The girls shook their heads.

Xander covered his face. "Oh, my God! I ate a pig? I mean, the whole trichinosis issue aside, yuck!"

"Well, it wasn't really you," Buffy said helpfully.

"Well, I remember I was goin' on the field trip, and then goin' down to the Hyena House, and next thing some guy's holding Willow and he's got a knife," Xander replied.

"You saved my life," Willow told him.

"Hey! Nobody messes with my Willow." He hugged her.

Buffy looked on and smiled. Willow smiled, too.

"This is definitely the superior Xander," Buffy announced. "Accept no substitutes."

"I didn't do anything else, did I, around you guys or anything embarrassing?" Xander asked.

The girls smiled and Buffy considered what to tell him.

She shook her head. "Nah!"

"Not at all."

"C'mon. We're gonna be late." Buffy took Willow's hand and they walked on.

"See you at lunch." Willow told Xander.

"Cool! Oh, hey, goin' vegetarian! Huh?" Xander called after them. He have them two thumbs-up. Willow turned and smiled at him. So did Buffy.

Xander started to head the other way when he was met by Ms. Calendar.

"Rupert and I have been reasearching animal possession, and we hadn't found anything anywhere about memory loss afterwards."

"Did either of you tell them that?" Xander asked.

Ms. Calendar leaned into his ear. "Your secret dies with me."

"Shoot me, stuff me, mount me."

Ms. Calendar patted him on the shoulder.

Xander shook his head and started walking along the balcony. Ms. Calendar leaned on the railing and watched Xander go.

Xander couldn't believe what happened to him.


End file.
